I know it’s only 24 hours but if you need Wikipedia during that time there are simple workarounds. The simplest is either to use the Google cache for the page needed or go there via the Wayback Machine. Wikipedia is using javascript to black out pages so turning javascript off in your browser will also enable you to access the required page. I’m using the NoScript extension myself to do the same thing. Do I agree with the aims behind the blackout? Yes. Do I think the blackout will make a hal’penny’s worth of difference? No. Which is why I have no qualms in using a workaround.

The blackout will have one good effect, it will alert the mass of internet users in the US who are unaware of the controversy that there is a problem. If enough people simply say, “hey, what’s up with this? Are SOPA and PIPA really good ideas?” the legislation will be stopped cold, at least in its current incarnation.

And I have no ethical issue with workarounds. The point of the blackout is to raise awareness. If you are aware, it has served its purpose and there is no reason to deny yourself access. But personally I’m not going to bother with workarounds. There’s nothing on Wikipedia that I can’t get elsewhere or wait 24 hours for.

Actually, an even easier solution is to use the mobile site.  (I don’t agree that the blackout won’t do any good, but I don’t see any ethical problem in avoiding it.)

Having just read a couple of articles about the huge lobbying power of the net giants I think you have the right of it, lh, and this protest could well be effective. I also read that Wikipedia left it easy to bypass by design, so that people could ‘opt out’ if they chose. (Although of course the vast majority of users wouldn’t have a clue about such things.)

The self-imposed blackout of wikipedia is over and the attack has been repelled.

For now.

I thought to post a link to this article for future reference:

From i programmer:

An article, illustrating an approach to work around the wikipedia blackout (excerpt):

As the page is being masked by JavaScript all you have to do is stop it running. You could turn JavaScript off in your browser, but this would impact your viewing of other sites that run JavaScript as an essential part of their content. A much better solution is to press the Esc key as the page loads - there is a brief pause between the page content appearing and the JavaScript covering it up, simply press Esc as soon as you see the page content. If you miss it then press Refresh - F5 - and try pressing Esc again. The Esc key simply stops the page from continuing to load - its the browser equivalent of Ctrl-C.
Yes it is that easy

For all the talk of the decline in US power and the rise of China, I can’t remember the last time an issue of domestic politics in the PRC utterly filled every cranny of the internet with commentary, protest and satire.
I’m impressed by the hegemony, frankly: haven’t come across anyone willing to argue for PIPA or SOPA.